Regimental Number: M17577
Rank: Gunner
George Purves, born in 1916 in Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland, was the youngest son of William John Purves and Helen Wilson. He had an older brother William. Helen died in 1917 to pulmonary phthisis, a disease later named tuberculosis. After Helen’s death, William J. Purves married Sarah Devina Lynch McSorely in 1919. George had one full brother, William, and 9 half-siblings. James, John (Jock), Margaret Jane (who passed away), Agnes, and Henry were born in Scotland, and after the family immigrated to Canada, twin boys who passed away, Robert (Bob) and Mark were born.
When the family emigrated from Scotland, they departed May 7, 1926 from Glasgow, on a boat called the Metagama, which was a Canadian Pacific Railway steamship that frequently sailed between Scotland and Eastern Canada and arrived at the port in Montreal on May 16, 1926. They journeyed by train a long way, reaching Peace River country where the family settled and farmed in an area of Bezanson known as the Kleskun Hills. George attended the East Kleskun School and worked on the family farm. Once he finished school, George found various labour types of employment.
George enlisted on June 23, 1940 with the Canadian Active Service Force, Edmonton Regiment, at Grande Prairie. Basic training occurred in Edmonton followed by Calgary before being transferred to CD & AAA (Coast Defence & Anti Aircraft Artillery) Training Centre in Halifax. Gunner George Purves was transferred back to Calgary on May 4, 1943 and on to Grande Prairie a month later. He was subsequently discharged on August 4, 1943.
George returned to the Sexsmith area and married Agnes Housman. They made their home on the Mercer Hill Road in the Sexsmith area. George had an Appaloosa stud from the Nez Perce Tribe, offspring of which were shown at the local County Fair. They had seven children; William, Richard, Debbie, Diane, Sidney, John and Mirna. George worked for his brother-in-law, George Fraser, hauling hay for 2 or 3 winters. The family then moved to Edmonton where George worked for the Prince of Wales Armories in Edmonton on Kingsway as a janitor. Agnes and George eventually separated and the two youngest children (John and Mirna) stayed with their mother and the older children were out on their own.
Agnes passed away in 1978. George passed away on February 2, 1990 and was buried at the Westlawn Memorial Gardens in Edmonton.
Contributed by Wanda Zenner
Sources:
Service File
Smoky River to Grande Prairie
Interview with John Fraser (nephew)
Marylene Purvis (niece)
Linda Drysdale
Sidney Purves’ granddaughter